Ames Police Commander Geoff Huff said that McMenamin took her two and a half month old dog to Iowa State University VetMed, because the animal became ill.

Veterinary staff advised McMenamin that the dog had an obstruction that required surgery and that without the procedure, the animal will need to be euthanized.

Huff said that McMenamin did not have money for the surgery and she told staff members at the clinic that she will see a private vet to euthanize the dog.

She scheduled an appointment to have the animal euthanized. When she did not show up with the dog to the appointment, veterinary staff called the police.

Officers went to check on the dog. McMenamin told them that she tried to perform the surgery to remove the obstruction from her dog using a knife and tweezers.

However, during the surgery, the dog died. McMenamin told police that she believed she could perform the surgery herself because she grew up on a farm and had castrated pigs before.

Police said McMenamin caused the dog “unjustified pain, distress or suffering” by performing the surgery while the dog was awake and not under anesthesia or on pain medication, which resulted in the pet’s painful death.

Police removed 20 other animals from the home, which McMenamin shares with her husband.